Typhoon death toll climbs to 66 in the Philippines

CEBU, Philippines — The death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi in the Philippines climbed to 66 on Wednesday as residents of hardest-hit Cebu province began picking through homes and businesses devastated by the worst flooding in recent memory. Floodwaters described as unprecedented had rushed through towns and cities, sweeping away cars, trucks and even massive shipping containers. Cebu accounted for 49 of the fatalities, civil defence deputy administrator Rafaelito Alejandro said in an interview with local radio outlet DZMM, as he confirmed the overall tally. "It was the major cities that got hit (with floods), highly urbanised areas," Alejandro said, adding that 26 people remained missing. "All the floods have subsided. Our challenge now is the clearing of this debris that is blocking our roads." AFP reporters on Wednesday morning spoke with residents as they cleaned up streets that a day before had been rivers. "The flood here yesterday was really severe," Reynaldo Vergara, 53, told AFP, adding that everything in his small shop had been washed away. "The river overflowed. That's where the wWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times